I will condense for you an excellent article on this subject by Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post. (Full article is below). Valerie reports on Ten Key Skills listed by Lisa Phillips. Although Lisa talks about performing art, they apply to all the arts.
I am listing these skills so you will encourage your child’s Art and enter the Just announced Harry Pierre & PeTunia Puddlesworth 1st Annual Art Contest, which you may find at www.harrypierre.com Please note that Entry Deadline is October 15, 2014.

Enter here: http://harrypierre.com/Art_Gallery/art_gallery.html

Art Enhances Children’s Skills

1. Creativity –If children have practice thinking creatively, it will come naturally to them now and in their future career.
2. Confidence –Art gives children the confidence to perform in front of the world.
3. Problem Solving – Artistic creations are born through the solving of problems. This will help develop important problem-solving skills necessary for success in any career.
4. Perseverance – “stick to-it-tiveness” as my parents used to say. In an increasingly competitive world, where people are being asked to continually develop new skills, perseverance is essential to achieving success.
5. Focus –In today’s culture, this is perhaps a most vital skill for the child to grab hold. Recent research has shown that participation in the arts improves children’s abilities to concentrate and focus in other aspects of their lives.
6. Non-Verbal Communication – Children express their view and self with their hearts, mind, and hands, enabling a vital connection not otherwise realized.
7. Receiving Constructive Feedback – Feedback about a creative work is a vital learning and growing process. . Children learn various ways of expression have various results.
8. Collaboration – Art is collaborative in nature. Through the arts, children See, Absorb, and Integrate color, technique, shape, dimension, and expression ideas, usually from or in conjunction with others. This builds research, judgement, and friendships.
9. Dedication – Aiming, following through, finishing teaches dedication to the child’s own skills and builds ever higher feelings accomplishment. Finishing an art piece gives self proof and positive feedback on its own. A warm feeling.
10.Accountability – Setting a goal, and doing what is necessary to achieve an art piece has roadblocks at times. Because mistakes are a regular part of the process of learning in the arts, children begin to see that mistakes happen. We acknowledge them, learn from them and move on.

These and other reasons are why the Puddlesworth family emphasizes Art and live in an Art Gallery. Art lies in the heart of life, like an emotion that expresses and moves the child’s self forward with skills, knowledge, and power to a bright rainbow life.

To read this full article, full credit goes to these writers and teachers. Article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/01/22/top-10-skills-children-learn-from-the-arts/